Floodgate for electric fences



March 19, 1940.

E. GROOMS FLOODGATE FOR ELECTRIC FENCES 1 Filed June 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor EUGENE Gaooms,

Attorneys I March 19, 1940. E. GROOMS 2,194,018

' FLOODGATE FOR ELECTRIC FENCES Filed June 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Inventor EUGENE. GRooms,

2mm 4 Ayn-W 5m...

A ttorneys Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOODGATE FOR- ELECTRIO FENCES Eugene Grooms, Greenville, Ohio Application June 13, 1939, Serial No. 2'i8,956

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a floodgate for electric fences, the-general object of the invention being to provide means whereby that part of an electric fence which passes over a stream can be rendered effective for stopping cattle or other stock from passing through the stream, with means for permitting the raising and lowering of the water level of the stream without interfering with the function of the fence.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.-

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1. v

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a float.

In these drawings the letter A indicates a stream and the numerals I and 2-indicate a pair of posts, one placed on one side of the stream and the other on the opposite side thereof. An electric fence wire 2' leads from a source of supply and is connected to an insulator 3 attached to the post I and a length of wire 4 is connected to an oppositely arranged insulator 5 attached to the post I and to an insulator 6 attached to the post 2. The fence wire leading from the post 2 is shown at 'I and is connected to the post by the insulator 8., A by-pass wire 9 connects the wire 2' to the wire 4 and a similar wire III connects the wire 4 to the wire I. A wire II is connected to an insulator I2 carried by the post I and a short wire I3 connects this wire II to the wire 2', while a wire I4 connected to an insulator I5 carried by the post 2 is connected to the wire 'I by a short wire I6. Wire 2' leads to any suitable form of controller. In carrying out my invention I place insulators I1 and I8 on the posts I.

bar I9 can be made of any suitable length by 'adding sections thereto and each section carries a float 23 which is made in the form of a small boat of hollow construction and of V-shape in cross section and with a pointed end 24 from 5 which rises a supportin post 25 of non-conducting material through which the rod I9 passes. The rod is clamped to the post by a set screw 26. A hand hole 21 is provided for each float which is closed by an air-tight lid and each float is 10 balanced by a lead weight 28.

0 Thus the rod I9 with the floats will rise and lower as the water level of the stream changes and the wires 20 are long enough to permit the floats and the rod I9 to extend down stream a 15 distance as shown in Figure 1. Also if trash or other matter should collect on the rod or float the wire 22-22 will break or give away so that the float will swing toward the opposite side of the stream and thus permit this material to pass. 20 If this happensthe line I will still be charged from line 2' by means of the line 4 and'the wires 9 and III as these. are located well above high water level. 1

I prefer to fasten the eyes 2I to the sections 25 of the rod I9 by threading the eye carrying parts to the sections and also to thread the ends of the sections in the sleeve 2| so that the rod I9 can be made of any desired length to suit the width of stream on which the invention is used.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be "made in the construction and in the combination 35 and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In combination with an electric fence including posts, placed one onone side of a stream and another on the opposite side thereof and a charged wire supported by the posts, a rod, floats for resting on water of the stream, uprights of 5 non-conducting material rising from the floats,

a rod carried by the uprights and extending transversely across the stream, an insulator on the lower part of each of the before-mentioned posts, a wire connecting one end of the rod to one of the insulators and a light wire connecting the other end of the rod to the other insulator and to the charged wire, said light wire breaking if material in the stream piles up against the floats. 55

EUGENE 93.00MB. 

